Mandie: Her College Days Mandie and the Secret Admirer
by mkhines78
Summary: Mandie Shaw is 17 and in her second year of college in Charleston, SC. Romance may have started to bloom with her childhood friend Joe Woodard, but it turns out that Mandie also has a secret admirer! Can Mandie and her friends reveal the identity of her secret admirer? Will her grandmother get in the way of Joe courting Mandie? Stay tuned!
1. Joe's Question

Mandie: Her College Days

Mandie and the Secret Admirer

I hope you all enjoy the first chapter. Review and tell me what you like and what I should change. Thanks!

Mandie Shaw sat back in her seat on the train that was taking her and her friend Celia Hamilton back to college in Charleston, SC. She grinned at her friend Joe Woodard. "Joe, just how did you convince Grandmother to let you escort us back to college to begin our second year? You know how she always insists on being in charge of everything."

Joe straightened up and put on a serious look. "Amanda Shaw, I am almost finished with college. I have learned to give a most convincing argument to win any case in court. Your grandmother just couldn't say no to my reasoning." He grinned. "That, and she had to deal with one of her businesses on something and couldn't make it."

"Well, I'm glad that you were able to come with us. I don't see enough of you with us at different schools so far away." Mandie admitted.

Joe smiled. "You know I would do anything for you. Including marrying you one day soon, I hope!

"Joe, you know that I still have two whole years of college before I will even think of marrying you or anyone else." Mandie reminded him.

"I know you still have some schooling left. But I am not going to stop telling you that I love you and that I intend to marry you in a few years." Joe said softly.

Mandie blushed and felt her heart do a little flip at Joe's expression of love. Usually, she just brushed off his words, but this time they kept going around in her head. Just then, the train came to a stop and saved her from replying.

The train stopping awoke Celia who had been napping in her seat. "Let's see if Mr. Ryland is waiting for us out here." Mandie said as the three friends exited the train. Mandie spotted their driver and the three made their way to him.

"Hello ladies, welcome back!" Mr. Ryland greeted them. "And you must be Joe." He added.

"Yes sir. Nice to meet you." Joe replied.

Celia spoke, "It's good to see you again, Mr. Ryland." Mandie echoed her greeting.

"Well now, let's get you young ladies on over to the college and get you all moved in." Mr. Ryland said as he turned the carriage in that direction.

"Oh Mandie, I'm glad we decided to move back into our dormitory now that everyone is friendly to us. I felt like we missed out last year." Celia enthused.

"And I'm glad that we were able to have Mary Lou and Grace as roommates." Mandie added excitedly. "This time, I'm happy that Grandmother intervened to make it possible."

Joe and Mr. Ryland managed to carry all of the trunks and valises up to their dorm with just a couple of trips while Mandie and Celia chatted with Grace and Mary Lou

"That's everything, ladies." Mr. Ryland said. "Do you need me to take you anywhere in the carriage today?

"No thank you, Mr. Ryland. We've been riding that train all day, so if we need to go into town, we'll probably walk so we can stretch our legs." Mandie replied. "If you don't mind stopping by tomorrow afternoon after our classes, I can give you a schedule."

Mr. Ryland tipped his hat to the young ladies and promised to return tomorrow afternoon.

"Speaking of walks, Mandie, would you want to take a walk with me before I have to hop back on the train to New Orleans?" Joe asked.

"Um, sure." She glanced at her friends. "I'm going to see Joe off at the depot. I'll be back for supper."

Joe and Mandie walked in silence until they got past the school. "Mandie, you know that this is my last year of school. I've really been thinking about where I might want to practice law once I graduate in the spring. I was thinking I might come here to Charleston. What do you think?"

Mandie took her Uncle Ned's advice and thought her words out before speaking this time. "Joe, you know that you are my closest friend. You've always been there for me no matter what. And I know that you are patiently waiting for the day that I will commit once and for all to marrying you after school. But, Joe, I'm not there yet. And I would feel awful if you moved here for me and we never married.

Joe took her hand in his. "I know. I'm not putting that on you, but it would be nice being in the same town. I know that you don't know who or if you will marry. If I move here, would you allow me the privilege of courting you? We can take it slow and see where it goes from there. I love you, Mandie Shaw."

Mandie had never felt this way before when Joe talked of marrying her. It had always been so far into the future that she always pushed the thoughts away. But now…when he talked of their future, it sounded nice and when he said that he loved her, it made her heart flip and she felt tingly. Could she be falling in love with her childhood friend? Hesitantly, she made her decision. "Yes, Joe. I will allow you to court me, but I'm not going to make you move here to do it. Where you move will be your decision. Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about my future, but I owe it to you to explore my feelings for you."

Joe's face broke into a big smile. "I'm so happy you agreed, Mandie! I wish I had more time to spend with you, but I have to catch the train back in a few minutes. I guess the next time we'll see each other will be Thanksgiving." Just then, they heard the whistle of the train in the distance. "Until then." Joe said softly. He leaned forward and brushed the lightest of kisses across Mandie's lips as he turned and boarded the train.


	2. The Letter

Jeaninelovesu: I feel the same way!

Thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming!

"I agreed to let Joe court me and…he kissed me!" Mandie announced softly to her friends, still in shock from her first kiss.

Celia, Mary Lou, and Grace looked up from their various activities at Mandie's announcement. "That must have been some walk." Celia replied. "What happened?" She asked, pulling Mandie to a chair.

Mandie recapped her conversation with Joe. "Ya'll know, especially you Celia, that I've always been able to brush Joe off when he would talk about courting or marriage. Maybe because we've always been young. But this time…I don't know. It was just different. He told me he loved me. He's said it before, but this time my heart responded to the words. So, when he asked permission to court me…I just said yes. Then he kissed me so lightly on the lips. It was perfect." Mandie was silent for a moment as she relived the memory.

Mary Lou spoke, "But ya'll are so far apart. When will you ever be together to court?"

"Right now, just holidays. Ya'll know we almost always spend holidays together. But, after he graduates he said he is moving to Charleston to set up his law practice!" Mandie explained. "I told him that I still wasn't promising marriage when I gave my answer and I didn't want him to move here expecting it. But then he kissed me…and I think it might have changed everything."

The girls excitedly discussed Joe and Mandie's courtship as they went downstairs for supper. As they passed the check-in desk, the attendant stopped Mandie. "Mandie, you have a letter that was delivered to the desk." She said, handing her the letter.

"That's odd. Why wouldn't it be in my mailbox?" She wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure, but a courier delivered it. He didn't leave the senders name." replied the attendant.

Mandie stuck it in the pocket of her skirt. "I'll look at it when I get back to the room." She said. "I'm starving. Let's get something to eat." The girls entered the dining room and began discussing the what each had done the previous summer and Mandie forgot all about the letter in her pocket.

Mandie yawned as she got ready for classes the next morning. She and her friends had stayed up late talking about who they thought each would eventually marry. As they were about to walk out of their room, Grace asked. "Did you get to read that letter you got last night?"

Mandie stopped. "I forgot all about it! I think it's still in my skirt pocket from last night." She went to her closet and retrieved the letter.

"We've got a little time, go ahead and read it if you want." Celia suggested.

Mandie opened the letter and stared at it for several moments without saying a word.

Mary Lou looked at her closely. "Mandie, are you…blushing?" She noticed Mandie's face get even redder.

She wordlessly handed the letter to Celia.

Celia's eyes widened as she read.

"Cutest face ever seen

Warmest smile, ever felt

Vibrant as a rainbow

Your presence is like sun

Look for the presence of love

In the horizon of your life

My heart wishes to be yours,

Our souls entwined.

Mandie was flaming red now.

"Oh Mandie, do you think Joe sent this to you?" Mary Lou asked. "It's so romantic!"

She shook her head, finally speaking. "That's not Joe."

"Mandie, I think you have a secret admirer then!" Celia squealed.

Mandie grabbed the note and threw it in the wastebasket. "No, don't be silly." She said quickly. "It was meant for someone else, I'm sure. It was mistakenly given to me. Let's go before we are late."

"Yes, you are probably right." Grace chimed in trying to soothe Mandie. Celia and Mary Lou understood that the note had upset Mandie and they agreed and changed the subject as they walked to their next class. However, each one including Mandie, was trying to figure out who sent the poem and if she really did have a secret admirer.


End file.
